Socceroos can do with fresh blood

You reap what you sow. And Holger Osieck is continuing to reap a mountain of criticism after the Socceroos’ abject capitulation against Brazil last week.

If the wisdom of the crowd means anything, then the German’s tenure with the Socceroos is just about over, but it remains to be seen if the FFA shares the collective viewpoint.

The debate over the future of the national team has reached a pitch rarely before heard. It may just be a howl of frustration from the true believers who cannot stand what they are seeing, or merely an illustration of the law that nature abhors a vacuum: with no A-League until October and the longest off-season in history, fans have got to vent about something.

One thing has to be said: whoever does coach the national team from this point on, whether it’s Osieck, Aurelio Vidmar, Guus Hiddink, Marcelo Bielso, Jose Pekermann, Ange Postecoglou or Graham Arnold, then they need to be bold and resolute – and have plenty of imagination.

The latter might well turn out to be the most important criteria, given the dearth of options Australia has in several key positions.

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Those who promote Hiddink’s credentials can point to his ability to conjure something out of nothing. It's a gift that the most creative coaches have. Under his leadership Scott Chipperfield, who had made his name as a marauding left-sided wide man, was transformed into a left-back, and even occasionally operated as a left-sided stopper in a back three.

Hiddink also turned Luke Wilkshire, a hard-working but hardly devastating midfielder, into an excellent full-back.

But Hiddink was lucky then, as that was probably the extent of the transformative work he needed to do: Australia was well served eight years ago with creative midfielders, quality strikers such as Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell at the peak of his powers, someone who could provide the X-factor the side now lacks.

So whoever sits in the dugout needs to think laterally about solving the present deficiencies.

If there are no left-backs deemed up to it – and it’s probably worth having another look at Aziz Behich or Michael Zullo – then why not think radically and try someone such as Tommy Oar in that space and teach him to defend. Robbing Peter to pay Paul? Maybe, but it’s probably more important to shore up the rearguard than worry about the wide left attacking spot.

If centre-back is a problem, then why not look at Mile Jedinak as a stopper. He has the height and has spent much of his career as a holding midfielder, so he can tackle and defend. That way Mark Milligan, who has been impressive as a box-to-box midfielder, could also play in the same team.

Mitch Langerak has to be given game time in goal. Mark Schwarzer knew when he signed for Chelsea that he wouldn’t get a lot of game time, but the future of the national team is too important to allow Schwarzer to keep his eye in by playing in every friendly between now and Brazil.

If he isn’t prepared to sit on the bench a couple of times, perhaps leave him out of the squad to allow Langerak and Mat Ryan a game or two.James Holland is playing in the Champions League. Surely he has to be given a chance. Combative and hard-working, it might be worth looking at him as a full-back as well as a midfielder. Has Mathew Leckie, who is now playing in the second Bundesliga and scoring a few goals, been discarded?

These are desperate times requiring desperate measures ... and thinking outside the square.